Kalash: amazing people in the mountains of Pakistan

While watching Discovery or other popular science shows it seems that our planet has been explored and examined length and breadth long ago. However some phenomena that we come across in our lives literally knock us down. Like, for instance, the fact that in Hindu Kush Mountains mysterious and blonde Kalash people live in isolation and surrounded with Islamic states; and even modern science is unable to solve the riddle of its origins.

Up high in Hindu Kush Mountains where borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan meet, in remote Chitral District, amazing and cheerful Kalashs people live  and they even look uncommon for the area. Several villages of this pagan settlements account for about six thousand dwellers and most of them have never been outside their territories. This is courtesy of both self-sufficient way of life and the fact that some sort of resemblance of a road to the big land appeared merely twenty years ago due to efforts of the Greeks. It is this fantastic, even in geographical terms, connection of highlanders and citizens of Hellas that has laid foundation to a romantic legend based on a failed Indian crusade of Alexander the Great.

According to the theory, warriors of the famous emperor, two men and two women, were so exhausted by fights and wearisome mountain passages that they, either being weakened or having committed desertion, stayed in those lands. When they cured their wounds and settled in, former soldiers took to things common for men and women  creation of future generations - which resulted in emergence of Kalash people. The story is beautiful and it sounds more convincing than the other two because according to one of then dwellers of Chitral are forefathers of the Slavs and according to another they are true Aryans that Hitler was so persistently looking for all over the world. Some also mention their alien origins but thats one bold idea .

Even today scientists keep arguing about how things really were because while resembling Muslims, who live everywhere around, as little as possible, on the inside  meaning such indicators as DNA, pigmentation and blood count - the Kalashs are similar to Pakistanis and the Afghans of all peoples. This is probably why population of their villages decreases  many convert to Islam and leave. Still, when talking to locals you can but be astonished not just by their pristine minds (for instance, majority of them have no idea what tourists do when the latter ones take pictures) but also by the fact that they dont know any other countries but Greece.

In addition to the road, Greek organizations have built several schools there and got electrification going though it works every other time in the mountains. But the Kalashs pay no attention to lack of civilization because their way of life with foraging, hunting, fishing and endless ceremonial feasts doesnt really require anything else. Despite what seems like wild life at first glance, true democracy reigns in their settlements, thus, for instance, women have a right to choose a husband and can easily get a divorce. Their opinion is taken into account in family as well as whole-village matters, it isnt rare that it is them who are trusted with the title of the senior of a village. Equality of sexes is observed in every sphere but work  representatives of the gentle sex are engaged in domestic chores while men not only bring kill home but also manage to grow wheat among stones.

Regardless of the fact that almost none of the Kalashs speak English, they are very sociable and open to the world. They respect their guests and invite them to participate in feasts and rituals, major of them are Joshi - feast of sowing, Uchau - feast of harvest and Chawmos - general pre-winter celebration in hopes that the season will be mild. During each of them all citizens dance nearby sacred place called Jashtak, painted with patterns, Greek style ones, by the way. Birthdays and funerals are celebtated in the greatest manner and during latter ones one cannot cry at all. Everyting is accompanied by drinking wine which is also completely uncommon for the region. And should one have enouh powers left, it is possible to play gul afterwards. It is hard to describe this kind of spot otherwise than a mix of lapta, golf and baseball. Everyone play it, from children to old folk; when asked, how old they are, threy most often answer "I don't know, I simply opened my eyes in this valley once and have lived ever since".

Among the Kalashs thre are own celebrities, for instance, Lakshan Bibi, a brave woman who's made a career of a pilot and created an international organization in support of her people. Knowledge and fame never changed her national features - she is still open, just as her fellow nationals, and she still lives among them, in Rumbur village. Another "star" is a Japanese Akiko Wada who has married a local dweller. She is an expart in small peoples, she says she came to the mountains to study the Kalashs but ultimately stayed for good. Nowadays other Japanese, her friends and relatives, visit them. From time to time scientists and researchers with their minds haunted with the mystery of the Kalashs, come there; and in number of tourists the British are in the lead because they of all other people, as former colonists of both Pakistan and Afghanistan, know the area very well and realize that there one can truly enjoy nature and such unusual people who remind that happiness is about simple things.

Composers of antiutopias predict hundreds of sorrows to the people of the future who are from times to times forbidden to celebrate weddings, however, it seems, everything is not so terrible. In Chinese province Yun Nan near the foot of Himalayas the matriarch tribe moco resides that is not familiar with the concept of marriage at all. In their language there are no words like 'husband' and 'wife', in the same time they do not know what it is to be 'jealous', stay in state of 'war' or experience 'betrayal', and they do not complain of their destiny.

"A poor peasant lived in a remote Gagauzian village, and wealth of his was his three sons ..." so begins one of the folk tales composed by the Gagauz people. This Turkic people really lived a not wealthy life, roamed the villages, feed sheep... When a family gathered together to have some rest, old and young composed legends in their own way explaining the phenomena of nature noted by a curious and observant eye: why crows are afraid of people, why geese gabble, why an ant has thin waist, and what happens when you put fox and wolf in one harness.

Outlook often tells about the kitchens of the peoples around the world, but when it comes to Italy, writing about the country should be a crime. Each of its twenty regions has its own culinary world with the subtleties and specialties. Let the title of gastronomic capital of Italy be Bologna, its official capital - Rome, too, has something to boast about. We are telling you what is remarkable about Roman cuisine and what dishes are worth trying in the Eternal City.

‘Love evolves when one looks in the eyes of the person beloved seeing there God’, in such a way the lines of some Arabian song called Qawali is translated. The authorship of this chant is ascribed to Eastern strangers Sufi who tending to find the sense of existence strolled around the half an Earth bare-footed. In the travels they composed songs where they told narration describing what they had to endure.

In those days when the Persian soldiers were second to none, and both the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by their power, skilful fingers of winner nation craftswomen created their first masterpiece. The carpet called The Springtime passed into history as the most precious of all time. It symbolized powerful rule of the Persians, and its beauty told about the divine origin of the king Khosrow I.

Stores, shopping malls, markets - all these places are an integral part of daily goings-on of almost every person on our planet. It would seem there is nothing special about them: they are all alike, just goods and prices vary depending on country or city. In fact, it is not quite true since some markets are only accessible via waterways. Our today’s story is about them.

Vitamins, development of resistance to cold, correct day regimen... That's all good and useful, especially when the winter weather swirls in, but sometimes we all have to pamper ourselves and at the same time to be protected against germs and colds. And the best way to do it is to sip some mulled wine.

Despite its declarative name, Islamabad is probably the most secular, cosmopolitan and westernized city of the Islamic Pakistan; and it is also the capital of this state. What its life is about – read further in Outlook.

It is said, the easier it is, the better we feel, however, is it always like that? We know that not all the nations follow this principle. Outlook has found out the strangest, toughest and hard in articulation international languages and would like to share it with the readers.

The spouse of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Pakistan Sima Attar arranged a friendly lunch and workshop on the preparation of traditional Pakistani shawls ‘Tie and Dye’ for ‘Ambassadors Spouses Club’.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Pakistan to Ukraine Atar Abbas organized an official diplomatic reception in honor of National Day of Pakistan and the 77-th anniversary of Pakistan resolution acceptance which defined the conceptual frames of the country’s educa6tion in 1947.

Experienced tourists believe that one of the best sure-fire ways to quickly tune into the beat of another culture is to try local food. In order not to be at a loss when choosing dishes and save precious time for spiritual food, Outlook gives you selective advice on street gastronomy from seven spots of the globe. And you only dare step by a famous fast food for another warmed-up semi-product instead!

It is customary to measure legs of life in pairs of worn out shoes. You tread on to discover new and glance at ancient things. And when leather shoes begin to gaze your feet, you can't help but recall huge wooden clogs that you happened to find behind your great grandmother's oven in Poltava. It is as if Ms. Holland herself salutes you, because... Is there really a person who hasn't heard about Dutch klompen?

A little-known Pakistani city of Multan is located in Punjab province on the bank of the picturesque Chenab River. Most tourists, probably, have never heard about it, although it is located almost in the centre of the country and is one of the oldest cities in Asia. But anyone who has ever been to Multan, falls in love with it forever enchanted by its remarkable azure roofs of shrines and mosques. It is due to them that the city often reminds the deep sea, iridescent with dozens of shades from turquoise to dark blue.

Few of us, while our favourite tea is steeping, are scrutinizing about the way this drink went through to get into our mug. Of course, stereotypically, we know that most likely it came from India or China, but in fact origin can vary. In the world there are about 30 countries which are very seriously engaged in tea business, and within this community a very clear hierarchy emerges, headed by the so-called Big Tea Seven.

Diplomatic activity serves to bond, unit, and expand the borders between countries and cultures. In the frames of diplomatic mission, the ambassador is obliged not only to cultivate relationships with the representatives of the state where he is in the service but also to get familiar with his native country’s traditions as well as national holidays and features.

Famous Kazakh proverb says: “Art of a craftsman can only be told in gold and silver”. Nevertheless, no matter how skillful hands of a creator are, in order to make a truly worthy thing it takes hard work, obstinacy, and, sure enough, courage to make a claim about yourself and about your talent.

OUTLOOK studied the brightest Pakistani holidays, because the saying goes for a reason: people live same way they hang out. An amazing game of history. Pakistan appeared on political map relatively short time ago yet one doesn’t have the heart to call it ‘young’ for it is inhabited with heirs of one of the most ancient civilization.